We are the Education Workforce Council (EWC), the independent professional regulator for the education workforce in Wales. That means we’re responsible for registering and regulating 13 categories across schools, further education, youth work, and adult/work-based learning. In 2025, this totalled more than 91,000 individuals.
But why is this important to you? First of all, let’s explain what we mean by regulation.
The concept of regulation is not a new one. In fact, many professions are regulated, from doctors and nurses, to solicitors and architects. It means that only those who uphold a high standard of conduct, and are competent, knowledgeable, and skilled are able to work in certain roles. Regulation provides a safety net that prevents harm, whilst maintaining standards and building public confidence in the workforce.
Key to our regulatory work is keeping a Register of Education Practitioners. On the Register are all those individuals who have been assessed by us and are deemed suitable to practise, making them eligible to work in education in Wales.
Every person registered with us is expected to follow the Code of Professional Conduct and Practice. This document sets out the standards expected of a registrant and aims to guide their behaviours and judgements. For everyone else, the Code helps to understand exactly what we can expect from education practitioners in Wales.
If we receive concerns that a registrant has not met the standards expected of them, we investigate and take appropriate action through our fitness to practise work. It’s important to note that as a regulator, we are not there to punish registrants, but to safeguard learners and young people, parents/guardians, and the public.
To help our registrants meet these expectations, we provide a range of information, resources, and services. Each have been created to help them comply with the Code and to support them to be the best practitioners they can be.
But not all of our statutory responsibilities relate to regulating the education workforce.
We are also responsible for accrediting programmes of Initial Teacher Education (ITE) and monitoring their compliance with national criteria. These are the courses that lead to qualified teacher status (QTS) which is needed to become a school teacher in Wales.
All ITE programmes offered by partnerships in Wales are assessed, evaluated, and monitored by an ITE Accreditation Board, which is made up of key experts from across the education field. Accreditation drives continuous improvement in education, raising the quality of teacher training and attracting skilled, qualified people into the profession.
And finally, we have a statutory responsibility to promote careers within Wales’ education sector. We do this though Educators Wales, a free service that brings together career, training, and job opportunities in to one, easy-to-access location. It provides information on the many roles available, links to any professional learning opportunities on offer, and showcases the latest vacancies via its jobs portal, the biggest dedicated to the education sector in Wales. The team also offer advocacy and advice giving people the opportunity to talk about career options, or receive training in areas such as application writing or interview skills.
Everything we do works towards achieving our vision of being a trusted, independent, professional regulator, working in the public interest to maintain professionalism, and enhance standards within the education workforce.
If you’re a parent or guardian, we’ve published a guide to help you play a more active role in your child's education. We developed it with the national charity Parentkind, and it includes information and advice on our role and the services we provide.
If you would like to know more about us, visit our website, or if you’ve got any questions, email